Saturday, September 28, 2013

Crock-Pot Southwestern Sausage and Hominy Stew

The third recipe in this month's crock-pot series would be given a pass, if pass/fail were the only grading options available. Were I to continue with the baseball analogy used with the other recipes we've featured so far, I'd call this a double play. Let me immediately add that there is nothing wrong with this dish. As a matter of fact, if there are teens in your house it might become a family favorite. My problem is that I think the recipe used to make this very basic dish is contrived. You don't really need a slow cooker to prepare it. This earthy casserole can be simmered stovetop or cooked in a microwave at the same time the rice that accompanies it is made. This is not a dish that needs to simmer for hours at a low temperature. You may want to prepare it that way, but it is not necessary and will add very little flavor to the finished dish. Most of the ingredients used in this stew come from cans and, like all dishes of this type, it is super simple to make. Texture in the dish is provided by the add-ons found at the end of the recipe. Don't forget them. The mango is used to brighten the flavor of the stew. If you don't have one, you can substitute a sweet apple or pear and get nearly the same affect. I think that those of you who are looking for crock-pot or slow cooker recipes will like this a lot. It's easy to do and very affordable. Here's the recipe.

Crock-Pot Southwestern Sausage and Hominy Stew...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann as featured in their book Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups prepared salsa, medium or hot (I recommend hot)

1 cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper (1-inch pieces)

1 cup coarsely Chopped yellow pepper (1-inch pieces)

1 (10-oz.) bag frozen corn, thawed

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 (15.5-oz.) can white or golden hominy, rinsed and drained

1 (12-oz.) package smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/2-inch rounds

2 tablespoons tequila

For Serving:

3 cups hot cooked long-grain white or brown rice

1/2 cup crushed tortilla Chips

1 medium-large ripe mango (10 to 14-oz.) peeled and sliced off the pit